Though different from many of his other books, I think The Testament goes down as one of my Grisham favorites. Troy Phelan, a self-made billionaire, jumps to a spectacular death after signing a will leaving his fortune to an unknown daughter, Rachel Lane, and spurning his six other children by three failed marriages, all of whom are circling like vultures waiting for their lucky day to finally arrive. The wrinkle is that Rachel is a missionary in a remote part of Brazil, and is totally out of touch with the Western world except for two phone calls a year. So Josh Stafford, Troy's long-time lawyer, dispatches one of his associates, Nate O'Riely, on a mission to find Rachel.Nate is fresh out of drug rehab (his fourth trip), and is coming to terms with the wreck his life has become, with a failed marriage and kids he doesn't stay in touch with, on top of federal charges that jeopardize his law practice and good intentions but little hope of true sobriety and recovery. Josh sees this little trip as a chance to get Nate back on his feet, and also keep him away from trouble for a little while. So Nate is dispatched to Brazil to venture out into the Pantanal, a vast region of rain forest on the Brazil-Bolivia border with little contact with the outside world. Rachel Lane is a missionary there with World Tribes Missions, a group that seeks to evangelize unreached peoples by sending missionaries in to live with tribes permanantly and to get to know them and earn their trust. Nate, with the help of a couple local guides, finally tracks Rachel down in a remote village, only to learn that she doesn't want the money. This to Nate is of course shocking, and as he spends a few days with Rachel, he comes to see the deep contrast between her contentment and his own searching and floundering.While in the jungle, Nate catches malaria, and narrowly escapes death after convalescing in a Brazilian hospital for a number of days. Once back in the States, he begins acting as Rachel's lawyer, in defense of the will, since the other Phelan heirs are contesting the will and seeking their own share of the vast estate. In the end, a settlement is offered to the other heirs, solving the legal troubles, except for the need for Rachel's signature. When Nate makes a return trip to Brazil, he learns that Rachel died of Malaria. But before her death, she signed the necessary papers, giving Nate control over the vast fortune in the form of a trust to benefit World Tribes, the spread of the gospel, and the betterment of the people of Brazil.This book has the legal intrigue of Grisham's other books, with some comical but also interesting heirs and their lawyers battling for control of billions of dollars. But it is in the characters that this book excels. Grisham shows the devastation that money and greed can bring in the lives of the three ex-wives and six heirs-apparent to the Phelan fortune. And he does a great job of contrasting this with the contentment that can be found elsewhere (namely in peace with God). Rachel is a very authentic character, and adds great depth to the book. But the best character proves to be Nate O'Riley. His journeys to Brazil parallel the searching in his own life, and his encounters with the Phelan heirs and with Rachel cause him to refocus his own life. His journey shows how painful the past can be, but also how liberating God's truth and forgiveness is. The journey isn't easy for him, but Grisham has cast it just right, to make it authentic without being shallow and moralizing or preachy.In short, I loved this book. The setting was fun and different, the legal maneuvering is vintage Grisham, and the characters bring the story to life. And, best of all, it is a great "testament" to the source of true meaning in life, none other than God and the forgiveness that comes through Jesus Christ.
Ever watch a game show like Who Wants to be a Millionaire and the contestant gets to the last question and a big smile covers their face because the answer is something they have just read or heard? Well, while in the process of reading The Testament I dreamed I was that contestant and the question centered around the Pantanol, situated in Corumba, Brazil…but I digress.The Testament was typical John Grisham. It was enjoyable, informative, and entertaining. Troy Phelan is an aging billionaire with 6 children from 3 marriages, who along with their mothers and spouses are waiting for the old geezer to die. And die he does. After manipulating his would-be heirs to have him declared mentally intact to sign a will that would leave them multi-millionaires, he signs a holographic testament and commits suicide.Well that was a great opener but the story really is about who he leaves his billions to, the search for her, and a recovering alcoholic, soon-to-be disbarred attorneys’ journey into the wetlands of South America to get her to accept an 11-billion dollar inheritance. There was a lot going on in this novel and at times the story drifted, especially when we were taken to South America. At times I felt like a geography lesson and not a suspense novel. Not only is it a Grisham lawyer tale, but it also deals with morality, and sublimely touches on some political issues.I think most readers were in agreement with Phelan, and did not want his obvious heirs to receive a penny. But it after learning about the person he left his fortune too, it was a little challenging to root for her either. The ending, although satisfying, did catch me off guard. I was hoping for a love story, happily ever after ending but that didn’t happen.Some of the take-away’s from this book is everyone, especially those with money, should have a will. If there is anyone you don’t want inheriting your things, you need a will. And if you are the child of a very wealthy person and they give you a trust at 21, be responsible with it because it may determine if they want to give you anything when they die.There really isn’t much you can say about a Grisham novel. The man is truly talented and even on a off day, he would still write a pretty good book.Much Love,TracyTracy L. Darity is the author of He Loves Me He Loves Me Not! and Love...Like Snow in Florida on a Hot Summer Day. For more information, please visit www.TracyLDarity.com.
What do You think about The Testament (1999)?
The Testament - GGrishem, John - StandaloneTroy Phelan, a 78-year-old eccentric and the 10th-richest man in America, is about to read his last will and testament, divvying up an estate worth $11 billion. Phelan's three ex-wives, their grasping spawn, a legion of lawyers, several psychiatrists, and a plethora of sound technicians wait breathlessly, all eyes glued to digital monitors as they watch the old man read his verdict. But Phelan shocks everyone with a bizarre, last-gasp attempt to redistribute the spoils, setting in motion a legal morality tale of a contested will, sin, and redemption.Our hero, Nate O'Riley--a washed-up, alcoholic litigator with two ruined marriages in his wake and the IRS on his tail--is dispatched to the Brazilian wetlands in search of a mysterious heir named in the will. After a harrowing trip upriver to a remote settlement in the Pantanal, he encounters Rachel Lane, a pure-hearted missionary living with an indigenous tribe and carrying out "God's work." Rachel's grave dedication and kindness impress the jaded lawyer, so much that a nasty bout of dengue fever leads him to a vision that could change his life.Back in the States, the legal proceedings drag on and Grisham has a high time with Phelan's money-hungry descendents, a regrettable bunch who squandered millions, married strippers, got druggy, and befriended the Mob. The youngest son, Ramble, is a multi-pierced, tattoo-covered malcontent with big dreams for his rock band, the Demon Monkeys. Will Nate get straight with Rachel's aid? Do the greedy heirs get theirs? What's the real legacy of a lifetime's work? Grishem is always a reliably good read with interesting characters, lots of action and good suspense.
—LJ
SPOILER WARNING!One of the best books I have ever read. Grisham does a great job of blending the law genre and the adventure genre. Nate O' Reilly, the main character is a lawyer fresh out of rehab, for the fourth time. Nate travels to South America to find out more about Rachel Lane, mysterious illegitimate heir to Troy Phelan's 11 billion dollar will. Out of Troy's 3 marriages, dozen's of children, Rachel Lane gets it all. Nate travels to Corùmba, Brazil in hopes to find Rachel Lane, a missionary working in the Patanal swamp. Not only does Nate find her, he befriends her. But, she is unwilling to receive the 11 billion dollars. Nate finally leaves to come back to D.C when he contracts Dengue Fever, and almost dies. He is sent back to the states after recovering, but misses Corùmba. Rachel was able to show him the ways of god and help him quit alcohol and drugs. Nate decides to reinvent himself and visit the family from his broken marriages. First stop is Salem, Oregon where he visits his young children. Next he travels to Detroit to visit his older son, who had flunked out of college. When he gets back he is ready for the trial. Two Weeks after, the dispositions all done, it was time for the official trial. Afterwards Nate travels back to Corùmba to get Rachel's signature on the papers. Only to find out that she contracted Malaria and died. She had left a holographic will of herself, taking the fortune she received in the will of Troy Phelan and putting it in a trust that Nate was in charge of. The book ends on Nate's journey back to the states. John Grisham
—Quentin
This book was an enjoyable and entertaining read, but unsatisfying for me in the end...Don't read further if you are concerned about spoilers...The book started out with the multi-billionaire Troy Phelan (and written in the first person). I found the beginning of the book engaging... It was interesting to see what was going on in Troy's mind as he thought about his life, his money and his family... It was a bit jarring when he jumped to his death... Now what? The first person perspective of Troy was now gone...how would the story continue?Needless to say, the story carried on with the perspective switching between different characters...Re: Nate - I loved following his struggle with his demons... I believe Nate will turn out well after his experience in South America, as well as his brief encounter with Rachel.I found the descriptions of Nate's travels in South America a little long and drawn out... I was always wondering what was going on back in the United States with the spoiled heirs...The end was very unsatisfying for me... Troy didn't want his spoiled children to get anything... And his plans seemed so well laid... But in the end, each of them got $50M!!! He trusted Josh to ensure that his wishes were honored, but in the end the $50M settlement with each of his children made me feel sick!On the whole though, I enjoyed the journey... We can never choose how a story ends... And this story was still entertaining regardless of how it ended...
—Michael Shiu
